Panther of Wiking Division at SS-Truppenübungsplatz Heidelager

Image size: 1284 x 1600 pixel. 212 KB
Date: Sunday, 14 May 1944
Place: SS-Truppenübungsplatz Heidelager, Pustków, Dębica, Poland
Photographer: Unknown

This photograph depict the vehicles and men of the Wiking Division and was taken at the SS-Truppenübungsplatz Heidelager located between Dębica and Sandomierz in Poland in early May 1944. We are able to date when this picture was taken with some certainty as several other photos taken from the same time show Muttertag (Mother's Day) cards being printing and made ready for issue to the troops. Here men of the 1.Zug (first platoon) of 6.Kompanie / SS-Panzer-regiment 5 / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" train on their Panzerkampfwagen V Panther tanks. Both are later model Ausf.A vehicles and carry the hurried, rather scrappy camouflage common to many tanks of this company! The tank in the foreground bearing the turret number (turmnmmer) 611, while in the background 615 which indicates that this platoon at least had its full complement of tanks.

Source:

Book "Viking Summer; 5.SS-Panzer-Division in Poland 1944" by Dennis Oliver

Panthers of Wiking Division in Maciejewo

Image size: 1600 x 890 pixel. 335 KB
Date: May-June 1944
Place: Maciejewo, Gmina Maszewo District, Goleniów County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Photographer: Unknown

A soldier from SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" speaking through feldfernsprecher 33 (field telephone), while behind him the Panthers hit the dusts. The Panthers in the background are "II 011" (SS-Untersturmführer Manfred Renz, Zugführer/platoon leader) and "II 014" belonging to the Panzer-Regiment 5 "Wiking". The photo was most probably taken near Maciejewo (South-East of Warsaw) in May/June 1944. according to the book "Viking Summer: 5.SS-Panzer-Division in Poland" by Dennis Oliver, Panthers II011, II012, II013 and II014 were 2nd Battalion's reconnaissance platoon, commanded by Manfred Renz. Remaining Stab Panthers were numbered R01, R02, R03 and II00, II01, II02 and II03. BTW, very interesting camo on the Panther!

Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=567556169935524&set=o.303273499761263&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1060539872/Interesting+Photo

Panzer IVs Pass Knocked Out Universal Carrier

Image size: 1600 x 1066 pixel. 437 KB
Date: Wednesday, 1 July 1942
Place: North Africa
Photographer: Unknown

Two Deutsche Afrikakorps Panzer IV ausf F including turmnummer (turret number) 413 pass a knocked-out captured Carden Lloyd Universal Carrier Mark 1 serial number T33417 armed with a Boys .55 caliber (13.9mm) anti-tank gun. The Universal Carrier is painted in the Caunter camouflage scheme, which used grey, blue, black, sand, and brown paint, or whatever was available, to form straight angular lines that were thought to "dazzle" whomever saw the vehicle in the desert, making it hard to judge size and distance. The Carrier has a Nazi flag over it to prevent an air attack by friendly German aircraft; this was common practice to mark captured vehicles with the Swastika flag. Panzerarmee Afrika had more captured vehicles than most other German units, because of lack of supplies. The Panzer IVs, especially the early ausf G models with a longer 75mm KwK 40 L/43 (3 inch) gun, contributed greatly to the Germans' mobility and firepower. Only the M3 Grant/Lee and the M4 Sherman tanks were able to penetrate their armor, and often only with a shot to the rear. The British cruiser tanks and the American M3 Stuart were totally unable to stop the Panzer IV. The Panzer IV ausf G could stop any Allied tank before the tank was in range. The British called the ausf G the "Mark IV Special." After the war the early versions were called the ausf F2. At the second Battle of El Alamein, Rommel had eight Panzer IVs with 75mm KwK 37 L/24 gun and 30 Panzer IV with a long 75mm KwK 40 L/43 gun. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0137

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N Unloaded in North Africa

Image size: 1157 x 1600 pixel. 770 KB
Date: Monday, 23 November 1942
Place: Bizerte, Wilāyat Binzart, Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf N medium tanks are unloaded form a transport. After Operation Torch landed 225,000 Allied soldiers in North Africa, the Germans and Italians built up their forces. During November 1942 transports brought to the ports of Tunis and Bizerte 176 tanks, 131 artillery pieces, 1,152 vehicles, and 13,000 tons of supplies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (Heavy Tank Battalion 501) arrived in Tunisia between November 23, 1942 and early January 1943. To assist their Tiger Is with reconnaissance and anti-infantry duties, the Panzer III ausf Ns (Sturmpanzer IIIs) were sent along. Their 75mm short-barreled guns were excellent infantry support weapons, and their speed and reliability rendered effective assistance to the high-maintenance Tigers. By Christmas Day 1942 12 Tiger Is and 16 Panzer IIIs were in Tunisia, and after the occupation of Southern France and the rest of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 arrived, the twenty Tiger Is were slowly whittled down by offensive operations. By March 10, 1943 only six of the heavy tanks and twelve of the mediums are operational. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 and 504 were merged on March 17. On May 12, the remaining units surrendered to the Allies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 was reformed by elements that were flown out before the collapse and fought on the Eastern Front. Date and location estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii125

Sherman Tanks of 7th Armored in St. Vith

Image size: 1600 x 1166 pixel. 854 KB
Date: Wednesday, 24 January 1945
Place: St. Vith, Wallonia, Belgium
Photographer: Unknown

M4 Sherman medium tanks of the 40th Tank Battalion, Combat Command R, 7th Armored Division, take up defensive positions in a field near St. Vith after retaking the village from the Germans. The 7th Armored, in a less famous but equally heroic stand than Bastogne, was cut off from reinforcements (except for scratch units of the 106th Infantry Division, 9th Armored Division and 28th Infantry Division) in St. Vith on December 17, 1944. Faced with intermittent radio contact and a lack of supplies and reinforcements, the 7th Armored denied St. Vith from the Germans for five vital days. After regrouping and re-equipping in early January 1945, Combat Command B of the 7th Armored retook St. Vith on January 23. 

Source:

United States Army 

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0082

M24 Chaffee of 18th Cavalry Squadron

Image size: 1600 x 1207 pixel. 1.07 MB
Date: Saturday, 3 February 1945
Place: Somewhere in Belgium
Photographer: Unknown

M24 Chaffee light tank of 18th Cavalry Squadron (Mechanized), 14th Cavalry Group (Mechanized), First Army. The vehicle wears whitewash camouflage. The 14th Cavalry was severely mauled in the opening days of the German Ardennes offensive, holding a critical juncture between V and VIII Corps at the Losheim Gap. There German forces had entered Belgium in 1914 and 1940. During the battle, the 14th Cavalry held out as long as they could against the 18th Volksgrenadier and 3rd Fallschirmjäger Divisions for three days. Spread too thin, units were isolated and cut off from communications. The 18th Volkgrenadier was completely destroyed. Near Poteau, elements of the 14th Cavalry were ambushed and German Kriegsberichter (War Correspondents) shot film of advancing SS units that became the only German view of the Ardennes offensive to survive the war, frequently used in documentaries to illustrate the German advance. In light of the poor performance of the M3/M5 light tank (facing German armor in M3/M5 light tanks in 1944-1945 was suicidal) crews welcomed the M24 Chaffee, which was armed with a 75mm (3 inch) main gun. The Chaffee could not stand up to German armor or anti-tank weapons, but it had a better chance of fighting. The first 200 Chaffees issued in the European Theatre of Operations were issued to cavalry units to replace their M3/M5 light tanks and provide the reconnaissance units with greater firepower. 18th Cavalry received their first M24 on February 3, 1945, and was fully re-equipped that month. After reconstituting and regrouping in Belgium, 18th Cavalry M24s fought along the Roer River in February 1945. The Squadron crossed the Rhine at Remagen on March 17 and supported the 99th Infantry Division's advance on Giessen before transferring to 3rd Army on April 18. Leading the way into Austria, the 18th Cavalry crossed the Danube on April 25 before halting on the Inn River on May 2. 

Source:

United States Army 

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0077

Coldstream Guards' Sherman Firefly IC Guards Bridge at Namur

Image size: 1600 x 1040 pixel. 428 KB
Date: Monday, 25 December 1944
Place: Namur, Wallonia, Belgium
Photographer: Unknown

Lieutenant Robert Boscawen (March 17, 1923- ) left with radiophones, commander of 2 Troop, 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, Guards Armoured Division, XXX Corps, in a Sherman Firefly IC Hybrid. Note camouflage cloth on the hull, extra road wheels, and tracks on front hull and turret. The number "52" is actually Tactical Number, not weight number (Sherman weight No.s would be "30" in black on a yellow circle). 52 refers to Regiment Seniority - British Brigades had their units ordered by seniority. Thus, Boscawen was part of 1st (Armoured) Battalion, Coldstream Guards, the second regiment of the 5th Guards
Armoured Brigade, Guards Armoured Division. Thus again, the Grenadier Guards were Senior "51", the Coldstrems were second "52", and the Irish Guards were junior "53". This tank, actually commanded by Sergeant Bastone (kneeling on right), and the rest of 1st Battalion cut off the German advance through the Ardennes to the Meuse. The IC Hybrid was an American-built late production M4 Sherman with a cast composite hull that mounted a specially designed 17-pounder 76.2mm (3 inch) anti-tank gun. Sherman Fireflies were the only Allied tank capable of penetrating the German Tiger and Panther panzers. As the situation on the Ardennes front grew critical on December 17-18, 1944, the 21st Army Group realized that the German offensive either targeted the port of Antwerp or Paris itself. Several divisions, including the Guards Armoured, were to reinforce XXX Corps. While scratch units of supply troops and light infantry were immediately rushed in from France, Holland and England on December 17 to secure the bridges and the vast supply dumps along the Meuse, heavy mechanized formations arrived on December 19. The 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards took up positions in Namur, one of the few remaining bridges. The masonry bridge had been blown by the retreating Germans in August 1944 and repaired by an American engineering unit with a Bailey Bridge. Boscawen survived hits on four tanks that were burned out or "brewed" during the war. The fourth loss, in April 1945, caused severe burns to him and his driver; the rest of the crew died. After recovery, Boscawen served in Parliament until 1992. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0060
Correction from Rex Barrett through email (thank you!)